Portable lavatory



Apr. 3, 1923.

H. L. WILKENS PORTABLE LAVATORY Original Filed Mar. 5, 1921 Patented Apr. 3, 1923.

Ynarran STATES HERMAN L. WILKENS, OF RIDGEWOOD, NEW JERSEY; GESINE WILKENS TRATRIX OF vSAID HERMAN L. WILKENS, DECEASED. Y i

PORTABLE LAVATORY.

i Application led March 3, 1921, Serial No. 449,463. Renewed July 25, 1922. Serial No. `577,4591.

T all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, HERMAN L. WrLiLuNs,

a citizen of the United States, and resident of Ridgewood, in the county of Bergen and VState of New Jersey, have invented certain neW and useful Improvements in Portable Lavatories, of which the following is a Specification- This invention relates to portable lavatories, and rmy improvements 'are particularly directed to a folding device which 1nvcludes a hand Wash-basin, a Water supplyy tank, draining means for usedv Water, a receptacle for the elements of a first aid kit,

and other useful articles of emergency and sanitary utility. I

rllhe entire apparatus, When closed, 1s 1n rectangular or suitable form and of such dimensions that it-may be conveniently lo- 2o cated upon the running board of an automobile, and there opened out for service.

The ,principal purpose for which my said invention is intended is to enable the motorist to Wash his hands after he has performed a repair or adjustment, on the road, or has changed a tire, Which facility is frequently desired, but for which no provision is found in present day automobile equipment.

vl realize fully that compactness and light rvveightin an apparatus of this character are essential, and have devised it accordingly, also providing therein the means for dressing Wounds Which may result from accidents met with on the road.

Other features and advantages of my invention Will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing l,Figure 1 is, a perspective elevation of the apparatus, open for service. 0 lFig. 2 is la section on the line 2 2 of Said part 1 includes the vertical rear Wall 5, side Walls G, 6, and top 7, said side Walls being cut avvay from their upperforyvard portions, with a downwardly rearward inclination, as at 7, 7a, to the points 7", 7b, where they continue forwardly in the projecting, lover portions 7C, 7c; and the niovablepart 3 has the front portion (8 that is vertical when closed, top Wall 9 and side WallslO, 10.` Said side Walls are of increasing .Width toward their base, that they may thereby be guided Within rthe slide Walls 6, 6 of part 1 in the act of closing thedevice.-

Secured Within theupper portion ofpart 1 is a vWater tank 11, whose ends reach almost to the side Walls 6, 6, but leave a slight clearance, for a purpose to he referred to hereinafter. yThe Water vtank is shown as connected to rear Wall 5 by fastening 11e'.

-rllhe base of said Water ltank is elevated a suitable distance above base 2, to provide clearance therebetween, and also that it maybe disposed atan elevation relatively to the part 3, when thelatter is op.en,vforthe service flow of Water ,from said tank; because said part 3 includes a Wash basin which isto be supplied with Water fromwsaid tank. i

Said'basin, indicated at 12, is sunk in the inner portion of part 3, which inner portion, when part Sis openedout, becomes then its upper portion, and. in describing said part 3 as opened out,.it has a top `plate of .frame 13, that is sunkbelow the upper-edges of Walls 9 and 1Q, 10, so that Water splashing upon the plate .13 Will be confined thereon, while said part 3 is extended iny its ownposition. n f

Plate 13, atthe rear of the Wash basin, is provided with a curved guard 14, and a Waste outlet 15 extends partly through said guard and partly through the upper .freer portion of thebasin, so that, When the basin is'to be emptied, by folding up part ,3, into or against part 1, the Waste waterrvillflow throughY said outlet yinto the lower portion ofpart 1, Whosesurface, 16, is centeringly inclined to` adrain orifice 17. for discharge, said surface having inturned Alip edges L6 100 to Confine waste Water pouriedkthereon! le this. feld'es il? estiba 3,19@

discharge waste water from the basin, then far enough for it to supply the basin, and

shall shut off in the beginning of the swing back movement given the faucet.

The upper surface of part 3 (referring lthereto in its open position) is inclined downwardly forward at the same angle as its side walls 10, 10, so that if its base were to lie in the saine plane as base 2 the upper perimeter of the basin would be at a forwardly downward angle, but I provide "per surface in level plane. comprise the slotted, arcuate arms 2O 20 means for supporting the part 3 with its up- These means pivoted as at`2l to the walls 10, 10, and en- ',:gaging by means of their slots with studs 22 located near the forward edges of side walls 6, 6, the arrangement being such that said arms, when fully extended, co-act with said studs 22, which serve as stops causing said arms to hold the part 3 suspended with its upper surface in a level plane.

The part 3 being hollow is useful as a con tainerfor bandages, plasters, salves, andV otherarticles comprising a first aid or emergency kit. kSaid part 3 is provided with the covers 23, 24, each hinged at 25 to the plate k,13, and h'avingtheir,r front edges in engageable relation. Thus, the cover 23 has an upturned forward edge 26, which co-acts with lthe upper edges of walls 9 and 10 to prevent water splashed upon said cover from run-v y ning off the top of part 3, and also prevents `water from entering the covered receptacle; and the, covers 24. for similar purposes. have the looped edge 27 that lits over .edge 26.

The clearances between side walls 6 and the ends `of waterta'nk 11 are intended to admit the entrance vof the forward edges of walls 10, and alsO `to receive the arcuate arms 20 in the .closing action of part 3.

An aperture 28 provided in a depressed portion of cover .7 is intended as afilling oritice for the water tank` which is provided with an orifice 29 in alignment therewith. a screw stopper 30 serving to close both said vaperture and orifice. said stopper lying within the said depressed portion aforesaid, so that a cover 31,y hinged at 32 to part 1, may closek snugly ydown upon top 7. Said cover 31 is ofsuflicient extent to lie over the entire topof the apparatus when thev part `il is folded up vagainst part 1, and said cover is provided with hasps 33 to engage in sock ets 34 upon part 1 to effect an engaged closure.

Guarded depressions 35, 36, are provided upon plate for the reception of soap and nail-brush respectively.

Itshould be noted that the edges of the plate 13 to which the covers 23, 24 are hinged, have down-turned flanges that prevent the passage of water through the hinges, and that the covers themselves have rip-turned flanges lying over said downturned flanges,y for the Asame purpose.

I'Iariations within the spirit and scope of my invention are equally comprehended herein by virtue of the foregoing disclosure.

I claim :fv

1. A portable lavatory comprising a casing having a rear wall, side walls and an open front, a water tank contained in the upper portion of said casing within the conlines of its side walls, a closure element hinged to fold upwardly against said front, a wash basin carried by said closure element, means for conveying water from said tank to said basin when the closure element is 'open `to present the basin in usable position, i a rear splash guard for said basin, means.

for the discharge of water from said basin into the casing bottom as said closure element folds hack, and discharge means for said casing bottom. f

f 2. In ya portable lavatory, in combination, a casing having a rear wall, side wallsk and an open front, a. water tank contained in the upper portion of said casing within the confines of its side walls, with clearances between its ends and the side walls of said cas-` ing, a closure, element hinged to fold upwardly against said front, arcuate, slotted arms, having guide means, engaged with the' sides of said closure element, and adapted to ypass into said clearances in the closing move-` ment of said closure element, said guide means also serving as stops to limit the opening movement of said closure element, and to suspend it when open, a wash bowlv in said closure element, and means yfor conveying water from said tank to said bowl, when the closure element is open to present the basin in usable position.

3. In a portable lavatory, in combination,

a casing having a rear wall, side walls and` an open front` a water tank contained in the upper portion of said casing within the compass of its side walls, a closure element hinged to fold upwardly against said front,

a wash basin sunk within said closure eley a casing having an open front, a Water tank contained in the upper portion thereof, a closure element hinged to fold against said front, a Wash basn carried by said closure element, means for conveying Water from said tank to said basin, and a top cover, hinged to said casing and adapted to enclose the top of said closure element, with the top of said casing, When said closure element is folded against said front.

HERMAN L. WLKENS. 

